


I Happened To Find You(To Know You, To Love You)

by doctorsimmonswilson



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Dorks in Love, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Hugs, Romance, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:42:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28303263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctorsimmonswilson/pseuds/doctorsimmonswilson
Summary: Jemma and Fitz had worked together briefly years ago. Then they just happen to meet again(and again and again...)
Relationships: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19
Collections: Agents of SHIELD Secret Santa 2020





	I Happened To Find You(To Know You, To Love You)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AgentOfShip](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentOfShip/gifts).



> for the amazing AgentOfShip.
> 
> happy Christmas to all!! enjoy your holiday beautiful people.
> 
> ps: I’ve missed writing these two<3

Jemma Simmons loves her job— really, she does; but teaching eight classes of obnoxiously loud and energetic twelve-year-olds biology and chemistry is not where she thought her two PhDs would land her. Unfortunately, when her father got sick last year, she had to find some way to send checks home to her parents, and her lab salary was not going to do the trick. 

So she resigned from her research, and took a job in the best public school system in the country. Of course, that kept her in cold, urban Massachusetts long after university. Her only saving grace in her new and lonely home and job is that it reminds her a little of home, of London. 

Jemma runs hand through her hair as she finally lets it down after a long day. She takes a seat in her desk chair, looking through her lesson plan for the following week. She sorts through piles of exams and labs she has to grade this weekend, placing them all in her bag. Jemma shuts off her computer, erases the board, and flicks off the lights before shutting and locking the door to her classroom after her. She drops her bag to tug on a thick insulated coat, preparing herself to brave the snowstorm outside.

She’s just glad she’s lived in the States for quite a few years now; if she had been fresh off the plane from home, she probably would have to camp out in the school, unable to drive on the other side of the road. She doesn’t understand why Americans feel the need to change everything. Wasn’t breaking off from Britain enough? 

Lost in her reverie about American culture, she doesn’t notice the man in front of her, and bumps into him. 

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Jemma gives the man an apologetic smile. She meets his eyes; they’re a deep blue. She studies the rest of his face. 

“No’ a problem,” the man studies her bag full of papers, “You’re a teacher here?”

“Yeah,” Jemma feels heat rise in her cheeks. He really is very attractive. “I teach chemistry and advanced biology.”

“Doctor Jemma Simmons?”

“Sorry? How do you—?”

“Uh, I’m Leo Fitz. I’m an engineer,” the man holds out his hand. “I went to—“

“M.I.T.” Jemma grins, shaking his hand. “Right, and you worked with Doctor Wells there. I remember you. That was an incredibly fascinating study…”

“Yeah, it was. Sorry, I don’t mean to make it weird— I just, you’re working as a teacher?”

“No, no!” Jemma assured this ‘Leo Fitz’, though she did feel rather awkward. “I mean, yes, to the teacher part. I went back to get my teaching degree. It wasn’t my plan at first, but uh, it’s great. The kids are great.”

“Wow, yea. Good for you.”

“So what’re you doing here?” Jemma feels her patience for small talk thinning.

“Visiting my sister. She works here as a computer technician.”

“Oh! Is your sister’s name Daisy?”

“Yeah, that’s her. I should probably get going…”

“Me too. It was good uh, seeing you I guess.”

“Sure. Maybe we should exchange phone numbers? I’d love to pick your brain about my new research. I remember that you’re particularly brilliant.” Jemma’s cheeks redden. 

“For scientific purposes, sure.” Jemma nods, handing him her cell phone. He does the same, and then they hand them back. 

“I’ll give you a call. Do you prefer...?“ 

“Fitz,” Fitz grins. 

“Right. Jemma,” Jemma grins back. Then, she heads to her car with a stupid grin. She hardly remembered the man she’d done a small project with in university. But gosh, he had some nice eyes and a good smile. She could do worse. Plus, she could use—

Jemma stops dead in tracks, only a few feet away from her car. She feels the snow hit the hood of her coat, and she hears the winds rushing. What in the world is wrong with her? She’s going mad. She needs to have some good sex. Or she needs to get a cat. Either way, brilliant scientist slash middle school teacher Jemma Simmons is _not_ one of those women; who fall quickly and prey on the first available man. But she likes Leo Fitz. At least, the way he looks. She hates herself for it. 

_______

Jemma meets Leo Fitz again at the Starbucks near the school. 

“Jemma!” Jemma whips her head around to see Fitz, his cheeks slightly reddened from the cold. His hair looks particularly curly. She feels a wave of lust for through her. She has the thought again, about checking herself into an institution.

“Fitz! Oh, it’s nice to see you,” she gives him a cheery—albeit awkward—smile. “Do you— do you work around here?”

“I work in the lab at M.I.T. still. I have my own lab now. I could’ve sworn your name is one of the doors.”

Jemma looks down, “I did used to… well I had my own lab too. But teaching has better pay than research. And I needed the money.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that. Do ya like teaching?”

“I do. I miss my lab, but there were… extenuating circumstances.”

“You could share. Mum says I’m a good listener.” Jemma laughs. 

“My dad. He got sick. There’s a few extra bills to pay. It’s no big deal,” Jemma shrugs, shying into herself.

“Jemma,” Fitz touches her arm, his eyes softening. It feels all too intimate, but it feels right. “You’re doing a good thing. I think that’s a big deal.”

“Oh,” Jemma’s cheek turned pink, her mouth forming an ‘O’. “Thank you.” 

“Yea, no problem,” Fitz shrugs, rubbing the back of his neck. Jemma thinks he looks impossibly attractive when he’s embarrassed. Jemma expects a moment of silence, and an awkward turnaround, but there isn’t one. Fitz and her just click. It’s like a breath of fresh air.

______

It’s only natural that Jemma runs into Fitz again at the school. And again when she visits the lab. And then when they both go to see the same movie. It’s no surprise that they happen to book the same flight home for the holidays. Despite the fact that her eventual destination is England, and his, Scotland. 

“Hey! Fitz!” Jemma hoists her carry-on up on her shoulder, dashing over to her friend.

“Jemma!” Fitz beams as he recognizes her, enveloping her in a tight hug. Jemma grins over his shoulder. She feels an odd sense of relief. 

“Excited to go home?” They let go; Jemma feels the urge to grab his hand. 

“Oh yeah. My mum misses me terribly,” Fitz shrugs facetiously. 

“You’re so sure of that,” Jemma grins. “She sounds lovely.”

“She’d love you.” 

Jemma looks at him, then down at her shoes. “Can I tell you something?”

“Anything.”

“I took back my job at the lab. I— I don’t know how I’m going to make it work. I’m going to see if I can teach less. Ever since I visited last month...I can’t think of doing anything else.”

“You’re a scientist, Jem. A—“

“Brilliant one? That’s you.” Fitz blushes. Jemma bites her lip. And then, she kisses him. He tastes like chocolate; Jemma wraps her arms around Fitz’s shoulders. It feels like home.


End file.
